


Tête-à-tête

by Xyliandra



Series: Basically Everyone is Queer [7]
Category: Free!
Genre: Developing Relationship, Dialogue Heavy, Genderfluid Character, M/M, Pesky Pronouns, Reigisa Week, genderfluid nagisa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 06:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3240404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xyliandra/pseuds/Xyliandra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s not that Rei had a problem with Nagisa's gender.<br/>Except that, in a sense, Rei did.<br/>---<br/>Rei tries to make sense of how to address Nagisa.</p><p>Written for Day 1 of ReiGisa Week 2.0: Gender</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tête-à-tête

It’s not that Rei had a problem with Nagisa's gender.

Except that, in a sense, Rei did.

Rei hadn't realized that he was staring until Nagisa leaned across the table and flicked his forehead. Rei yelped, hands flying up to protect himself for a follow up attack.

“Nagisa-ku-” Rei stopped himself. “Nagisa,” he corrected. “Sorry.”

“You don't have to apologize, baby,” Nagisa said as he leaned forward to peck a kiss on Rei’s cheek. “I'm the one who attacked you.” Rei’s lips quirked into a smile.

“Oh that was an attack, was it?” Nagisa nodded.

“Yep.”

“Then I would advise that you prepare for my inevitable counterattack,” Rei declared.

“I'll ready the troops,” Nagisa laughed with a salute. Rei glanced down at his lap distractedly. “What's wrong, Rei-chan?” Nagisa asked when Rei’s smile faded. He didn’t respond for a few long moments. Nagisa was about to prompt him again when Rei finally spoke.

“I don't know what to call you,” he confessed.

“Call me anything you want-- as long as you call~!” Nagisa quipped with a flirtatious wink. Rei groaned. Nagisa stuck out their tongue. “Well I think I’m funny.” Rei didn’t respond.

Nagisa scooted closer to Rei, turning him slightly so that their knees touched. Nagisa took one of Rei’s hands, squeezing it gently.

“Today specifically? Or in general?” Rei adjusted his glasses nervously out of habit.

“Both, I suppose. But today is an immediate concern,” he replied, avoiding Nagisa’s gaze. Nagisa stroked his hand.

“Corny joke aside, I did really mean that you can call me anything you want.”

“But the system-” Nagisa sighed.

“Rei-chan, I really appreciate how supportive everyone has been. And it was really sweet of Haru to come up with an honorifics system…” Nagisa waited until Rei looked up to continue. “But it seriously doesn’t bother me. You could call me Nagisa-kun or -chan or even -sensei; I’d still be me.”

Rei’s brow furrowed.

“I wouldn’t make sense to use -sensei.”

“Fine. -Dono, -senpai, ruler of the world, whatevs! It’s all good.” Rei groaned. Slang was simply not Beautiful. Nagisa squeezed his hand. “Really Rei-chan, it’s O-K.”

“But I don’t want to misgender you.”

“So stick with just plain ol’ Nagisa,” Nagisa said with a shrug. “You’re making this way more complicated that it needs to be.”

“More complicated?” Rei asked in disbelief. “Gender is a multifaceted, complex matter! I don’t-”

Nagisa tapped a finger against their nose.

“Got it in one, Beautiful.” Rei blushed. Nagisa was the Beautiful one. “Gender is complicated. I’m not even sure what gender I am half the time. It’s kinda illogical to expect you guys to know when I don’t.” Rei smiled the tiniest bit at Nagisa’s choice of words. “I honestly don’t really care how I present or how people address me most of the time. So you guys don’t really need to worry about it. Just treat me like you always have.”

“And on the days when you do care? Will you tell us how to proceed then?” Nagisa smiled sheepishly, dropping Rei’s hand and twisting their own fingers into their pant legs.

“Well, ah, I can’t promise that I’ll come right out and say ‘Oh hey, I’m suddenly feeling girlish today, and you should call me this.’”

“Are you feeling girlish today?”

“Sorta? More like not-a-boy, but it’s complicated. I’m trying to get better at saying something, but, I mean, how do you just randomly bring that up?” Nagisa laughed nervously. After a moment, they took a deep breath and looked up at Rei. “I might not always just say it, but Detective Rei-chan is very good at figuring things out. I promise that if you ask me, I would never lie about it.” Rei nodded in understanding. Nagisa smiled coyly, wrapping arms around Rei’s neck. “After all, I couldn’t possibly lie to my boyfriend.” Nagisa crawled into Rei’s lap. Rei spluttered and blushed deeply. “My lover.” Rei managed to, somehow, turn redder.

“NAGISA!” he wailed.

“Why so embarrassed, Rei-chan? You’re the one who called us lovers, Rei-chan.” Rei hid his face in his hands.

“I did not anticipate our peers would interpret it in a sexual context!”

“What other context is there?” Nagisa laughed, nuzzling their head at the crook of Rei’s neck. “That’s what you should put your energy into: figuring out how to introduce me, since you’re so adamant that I am not your boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend is an inadequate description and rather gendered.”

“Ya think?” Nagisa teased. Rei ignored the comment.

“And I have spent time considering my options. I have yet to reach a verdict however.”

“You have?” Nagisa quirked an eyebrow. “I haven’t seen any lists or anything. I kinda thought you forgot about it, to be honest.”

“I only wish I could forget the embarrassment,” Rei mumbled, wiggling around slightly as he tried to pull his phone from his pocket without upsetting Nagisa. “I compiled potential titles on my phone, lest you harass me for my efforts.” Nagisa pouted.

“You know I wouldn’t harass Rei-chan; only tease.” Rei eyed Nagisa skeptically and hummed in response. Tomato, tomato. “Can I see your top picks?”

“I suppose…” Rei conceded, opening the file and handing over the phone; he kept a close eye on Nagisa to be sure no other apps were launched.

“Partner. Kinda clinical. Datemate. I can’t imagine you saying that, like, ever. Paramour. Oh wow Rei, that’s pretty darn archaic.” Rei huffed slightly. “Beau. Love of My Life.” Nagisa looked up at Rei, eyes full of mirth. “I like you and all Rei-chan, and it would be pretty awesome to be together forever, but aren’t we a little young to be making that sort of commitment?”

“It was just an option,” Rei said defensively. “I never said it was The One.”

“Oooo, that’s another option. The One.”

“No, it is not,” Rei countered.

“Bae is another one you left off,” Nagisa pointed out.

“I am not using bae,” Rei insisted.

“Beloved,” Nagisa read.

“Belove-ed,” Rei corrected. Nagisa looked at him with a dopey smile.

“That sounds like something out of a fairy tale.”

“I suppose it does,” Rei agreed.

“Does that make me a princess? Or the damsel in distress?”

“You may be a princess if you wish, but you certainly aren’t a damsel in distress.”

“Hmm, yeah you’re right. I’d show that villain what for,” Nagisa said enthusiastically. “Maybe even save you!”

“That is a distinct possibility.” Nagisa looked pensive, as if weighing options.

“I think I’d rather we fight together. Side by side. Battle buddies.”

“Partners?” Rei asked with a smile. Nagisa smiled back.

“Ok, I guess that’s not so clinical after all.” Nagisa rested their head against Rei’s chest, content listening to the other’s breathing. Rei played with the blonde strands around Nagisa’s ears.

“My name is Rei,” Rei murmured. “And this is my Beloved Nagisa.” Nagisa couldn’t help the smile that spread wide across their lips.

“I think I like Beloved,” Nagisa said softly.

“Beloved it is.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at [xyliandra.tumblr.com](http://xyliandra.tumblr.com) or at [xyliandra-fics.tumblr.com](http://xyliandra-fics.tumblr.com)


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